


The trial of Tubbo

by EfoxKitty



Series: The trials of Tubbo series [1]
Category: Dream SMP - Fandom, Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Dream SMP Election, Dream Smp, Everyone wants to hug Tubbo, Fundy is acting like a big brother, Gen, George is having a bad time, Mourning, Murder Mystery, Pogtopia, Schlatt is still a dictator, Technically?, Trials, Tubbo is a killer and has to live with it, but he also cares about Tubbo, l'manburg, respawn exists, they just turned it off for a moment
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-26
Updated: 2020-10-29
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:02:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,535
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26669413
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EfoxKitty/pseuds/EfoxKitty
Summary: It's finally over. They've won and L'Manburg is free once again. The president is dead and his tyranical regime is over. But now they have to deal with a question: What are they going to do with Schlatt's right hand man?Tubbo, only a child, yet still a murderer. How can they fairly judge his involvement in the new governement? By organizing a trial with Tubbo as the main witness/suspect.
Relationships: GeorgeNotFound & Schlatt, Tubbo & Fundy, Tubbo & Schlatt, Tubbo & everyone, tubbo & tommy
Series: The trials of Tubbo series [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1957363
Comments: 77
Kudos: 531





	1. Imprisonement

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [wait a minute](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26604952) by [Aenqa](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aenqa/pseuds/Aenqa). 



> Originally I wanted to vent my feels from the election, so I went to read fanfics. And well, now I write this piece to vent about the fanfic :D
> 
> Please read the tags, I can't really tag well, but the most important parts are there.
> 
> Sorry if parts will be slightly off, this is my first fic for this fandom. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the angst.

It seemed that today was going to be cold. Tubbo was hiding under the blanket he had been provided. He didn't think he deserved such kindness, but he was grateful for it non the less. The bars of his cell were glistening under the first rays of the raising sun. He sighed, and his breath materialized in the air, before dissipating.

Today was the day, the day of his trial. He looked at the wall, where he tried to draw his friends as stickmins. He saw one with a blob on its head, representing Wilbur, as he stood on a rock. There was a speech bubble coming from his mouth, as he spoke to four others: Tommy, Fundy, Tubbo and Eret.

He had drawn Tommy with both of his hands raised, however one of them had a sword in it. Beside that he had two angry eyebrows. Next to him was Fundy. He tried to draw him some ears and a tail and it looked pretty okay in his opinion. Next was Eret, the crown firmly on his head and a long gash, crossing him out of the scene, signifying the betrayal.

Tubbo paused, as he glanced at the last person. A normal stick figure, but where the face was, there was nothing. Partly, because he didn't knew how he should draw himself and partly, because that's how he felt now - empty. 

He averted his gaze and looked at another group above them - the dream team. Unlike his team, which was wearing capes, theirs had swords. Sapnap, with the white headband, George, with his glasses and Dream, with his mask. Between them was an oval, with a darker oval in the middle - the disc that gained them their independance.

The last group on the picture was unusual not just by who was in it, but with the style as well. Their lines weren't fully connected, leaving gaps and sometimes they weren't as clear, because he rushed to get it done in time, before he fell asleep. The first one had a tie and a big smirk on his face, probably, because he had won the election. 

Next to him was another man with a tie, a pair of horns on his head. To Tubbo, he was looking down, exactly where he stood, and the more he looked, the more he felt like they are staring each other down. He shivered, as he remembered looking into Schlatt's eyes when the man was angry.

And last, last was Niki. He tried to draw her with the cape and the tie at the same time, but now it looked like a scuffed dress. This was actually the first stick figure with hairy as he used longer strokes to draw her hair. It was nearly done, but he picked up the sharp stone he used for carving and drew halo's over the last group and Tommy.

His hand trembled, as he updated the drawing to match the cruel reality. They were gone, gone forever and he was the one to kill them. He put the stone down. He was just tired, too tired to care anymore. He pushed down the guilt and sadness, just like he did every day and turned away from the wall. It was lonely, being Tubbo.

He heard the footsteps. It was probably time for him to go. The cell opened and Fundy stepped in, handing him some bread. He ignored him and instead walked past him to the guards, dragging the blanket with him. He missed the frown on Fundy's face, the concern in his eyes, as Tubbo refused another meal. "Come on Tubbo, just a bit. It's only bread. Nothing bad or dangerous about it, look." Fundy tore off a piece of the bread and shoved it into his mouth, in attempt to prove the bread wasn't poisoned or bad. Tubbo only shook his head.

Fundy sighed "At least drink some water, please." he extended his hand to Tubbo, with the glass full of water. And to his relief Tubbo grabbed it and took a swing. The water tasted the same as always and if Tubbo felt a bit better, he would have smiled.

Fundy took the glass and put the cuffs on him. He wasn't happy with it, but it was agreed beforehand that Tubbo was going to be treated as a prisoner. He slowly lead Tubbo out of the cell, towards the guards assigned to protect and watch over Tubbo at this moment - Hbomb and Jack. They nodded at each other and started walking.

They left the prison and to Tubbo's surprise, they stopped in front of his house. Why are they here? Wasn't he supposed to be at a trial? They are not letting him free, are they? He hopes not, yet he wishes they would. He wishes things could go back to the way they were, but they can't. Too much was lost, too much has changed.

Fundy lead him inside, so Tubbo could wash himself. Tubbo glances into the mirror, at the bags under his eyes, the pale skin, the chapped lips and messy hair. His suit he got from Schlatt was still soaked in blood from the fight. The blue blanket he still had been directly contrasting his appearance - soft, warm, happy, a reminder of kindness, he once had given freely.

Fundy gently lead him through the house and he only stepped away to let him use the bathroom. The water felt amazing and he let himself enjoy the moment, as he washed the dirt and grime away. When he was done, he heard a small knock on the door. "I'll just put down some clothes for you." Fundy announced, as he opened the door a little, to be able to slide in fresh clothing.

Tubbo waited for him to leave and as Fundy closed the door, he went to inspect the pile. The first thing he noticed were the colours. Reds, blues, gold and black and he freezes. _That's- Those- The-_ It was too much. He shoved the pile far away from him, as much far as possible. He stared at the ghost of his past - his old L'Manbergian uniform.

It was exactly the same as he left it, a bit dirty and torn, as he jumped out of the window, trying to escape Quackity and George. There was even a dark patch of dried blood. He tried washing it, he really did, but unfortunately he couldn't get it off. He doesn't even want to think who's it was. Tubbo silently grabbed his old clothes and pulled them closer.

He would rather wear the bloody suit then continue tainting the only good memory he has left. He knows that Fundy grabbed it, because he probably couldn't find any other clothing, but he hates it. Why do they think he is worthy of wearing the uniform? Even Eret probably threw his away after the betrayal episode.

Well, that was a lie. He knew Eret had hidden his uniform in the closet and sometimes he would sit in silence and look at it. At least, that's what Fundy told him one day, when he asked if he knows anything about Eret. He didn't understand it back then, why he did all that, if he still cared, but now, now he understands.

He put on the suit and walked out of the bathroom. Fundy seemed surprised "Are you sure you don't want any other clothes?" he asked carefully. Tubbo shook his head. "Do you want to bring the blanket?" Tubbo nodded. Fundy slowly and firmly wrapped the blanket around the kid before he brought him back outside.

They regrouped with Hbomb and Jack and resumed their journey to the meeting room. The trial was supposed to be private, only a fraction of people was allowed to attend. Yet Tubbo felt terrified. What if they find him guilty and kill him with respawn off? He thought he had accepted the possibility of dying, but the closer they got to their destination, the more he felt unsure.

When they arrived to the building, the group stopped. "Wait here Tubbo, until they call for you." Fundy pat his back, hoping to ease his worries, before he walked into the meeting room. As the doors closed behind him, Tubbo sat down. _I guess this is it, the end_ _._ He thought. _I'm sorry everyone, I'm sorry._


	2. Quackity was slain by Tubbo_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Italics - Thoughts, flashbacks and past events.
> 
> Bold italics - Text written by Tubbo that Fundy reads out loud.
> 
>   
> I genuinely thought this chapter was going to be short, but then inspiration went brrrrrrrr and here we are. I love it :D
> 
> P.S. If you haven't watched the confrontation between Quackity and Schlatt on the day of the election, it's around 2:01:00 of Quackity's vod. Putting it out here, because it inspired one of the parts of the dialogue.

The bustle in the meeting room was clear from the first moment Fundy stepped inside. Karl, Wilbur and Eret were having a long discussion, as they sat around the table. On the other side, Techno was leaning on the wall, seemingly deep in thought. A few villagers were running around, cleaning and sorting documents.

As the doors closed behind him with a creek, all the heads snapped towards him. Wilbur expression went from neutral to serious, as he ordered everyone but Karl, Eret and Techno to leave the room. Meanwhile Fundy adjusted his pose in front of the table to deliver the report.

"He hadn't eaten anything since his arrest, because he refuses any food we give him. He drank a bit of water, so at least that's something." Fundy stopped saluting and his expression darkened "I've tried to give him different clothes, but he decided to have his old ones. The only thing he took was the blanket."

Wilbur nodded solemnly at the report. "Has he finally spoken?" Ever since Tubbo's arrest and even during the kid hadn't said a word. Only kept staring at corners, as if someone was standing there, watching or perhaps speaking, as he always flinched after a moment.

"Not a word. He only communicates in nods and shakes, so he only answers a yes or no questions." 

The council looked at each other, before Karl spoke up "I have some spare parchments and a quill he can use, if he can write his answers."

"Bring it. I'll get some food and water." Eret said as he stood up to fetch the items.

Fundy looked at the leader "Anything else father?"

Wilbur looked around the room. They decided for a small group, hoping the familiar faces will be less intimidating for Tubbo and with each report, he felt like he made the right call." No, that's all. Bring him in son."

Fundy briefly nodded and disappeared behind the door. During his leave, Wilbur looked at Techno "Do you remember the plan?" 

Techno shifted his pose a bit and glanced back at Wilbur "Of course I do. Why do you ask? Nervous?" He patted Wilbur's back. "You got this Will, you're good at talking."

"...Thank you." Wilbur tried to relax and summon his inner leader persona, because now he needed to be strong. The rest of the council returned with the items and sat down, waiting on the last two people.

Their eyes hovered over the entrance. Until they heard Fundy's voice come through. "Do you want me to go first? ... Alright." Fundy's ears poked through first, before he fully stepped inside. And as he got out-of-the-way, some of them finally got to see Tubbo for the first time.

  


He still had the wild look, unchanged from the state they found him in. His eyes were red and glassy , with purple bags under them. No doubt all of this was affecting him. Fundy careful sat Tubbo down on a chair and got rid of the cuffs. Tubbo didn't even react.

Wilbur would be happier if he could go and give the kid a hug and not have to cuff him, but unfortunately he was the leader and he had to be impartial, if he wanted to tilt the odds in Tubbo's favour. Instead he channeled his energy into speaking gently and calmly. "Hello Tubbo."

The boy looked up, when he heard his name said by a familiar voice. There was a lot of people here, but still less than he expected. Sadly, that fact didn't make him feel safer. He glanced at the table, where he saw an assortment of various food items, as well as refreshments. "This is for everyone, but mainly you. We heard you didn't really eat much."

Tubbo looked down again. Why does it matter if he eats? They're going to kill him anyway. No, that's not true. Wilbur would never do that. He's not- he's not like the previous president.

"We also know that you don't speak, so we also provided items for writing. Fundy can read it out loud or you can slide the paper to me, you can choose." Wilbur continued. "So, what do you think?"

Tubbo thought about it and in the end he pointed at Fundy, making him kind of an official communicator for this meeting. Fundy accepted his new position and sat down next to Tubbo. "If you need to stop the interrogation for any reason, just extend your hand with the palm upright."

The boy nodded and tried to copy the motion as described, while tilting his head, to non verbally ask: "Like this?" Fundy smiled and patted his head, before he grabbed a bowl with cookies and brought them closer to Tubbo. "I get that you don't feel well, but if you don't eat, you will only feel worse."

Tubbo wanted to protest, but his stomach grumbled loudly, interrupting his resisting. He hesitantly reached for a cookie and slowly bit into it. It was as sweet as he remembered. He continued eating them slowly, but as he ate the fourth one, he realized he's not allowed to eat so much if them.

What if he turned into his lawyer self - Big T again? Well, actually that would be funny. During the election debate he felt pretty confident being in the lead and coming up with topics. Even if Tommy- ... And just like that, he lost his appetite. He shoved the remaining cookies far away from him and pulled closer the items for writing.

Karl took the initiative and began the questioning "Tubbo, do you know why you're here?"

**_"Because I'm a murderer."_ **

If someone had the ability to watch everything at once, they would see the shift in everyone's expression after Fundy read the first sentence. Some were shocked, some sad and some angry. Karl closed his eyes to compose himself and explain "Yes, that is a part of the reason you are here, but the main reason is that we need to know what went down. Nothing happens without a reason."

Wilbur's hand hovered over the list of names and crimes. "In other words, we need to ask you about certain events and citizens. So the first person we need to ask about is the ex-vice president Quackity. Are you able to explain what happened that night?"

_Shouts, weapons, cries, blood, guilt._

Tubbo nodded. He probably will be able, it's not like he hadn't talked about it before. Compared to others, this was probably the easiest to talk about.  _**"Where should I begin?"** _

"Start with your relationship, how did you feel about him, how did your encounters felt, how did you meet that day, anything." Karl offered.

The witness started writing. _**"I didn't know him that well, the most times I've seen him is when he became the co-leader. But according to Niki he was thinking of betraying the president if he stopped giving him power and respect."**_

Eret, the self-appointed note talker, wrote it into the logs. "Did Niki told you how she knew that?"

_** "He apparently told her all that before she was first arrested. He pulled her aside to ask her if she thought the president was sane. When she said she doesn't think so, he said I knew it and asked her to be careful. And then she stumbled or something and hit him by accident, as the rest of the parliament walked in, so the president arrested her for attacking a government official." ** _

"So she was imprisoned by a mistake? I thought it was for rebelling against Schlatt." Wilbur frowned.

However Eret spoke up instead "Both of those statements are correct. I was one of the people who witnessed the first arrest. Schlatt ordered to bring her into the interrogation room. She kept demanding justice, equality and democracy. When her pleas weren't heard, she declared that she will fight to return L'Manberg to its values. As Schlatt walked away disgusted, Quackity yelled that the prisoner had escaped. Niki then yelled: I'm not letting you get away with this, before she went into hiding."

_** "That's exactly what she told me. She also added that the person who led her out was Quackity himself, because he felt bad about the situation. He told her he would give her a signal when the coast is clear. According to her words, he followed his promise and even gave her a steak. But I learned all this after." ** _

"Very well then. So we know that Quackity didn't fully agreed with the new policies and he distrusted the president. He helped Niki get away and technically showed his support for the rebellion." Wilbur summarized the information "You said you learned this after, so what was your relationship with Quackity?"

_**"He despised me."** _

"He despised you? Do you have any idea why?"

_** "I think it's because he felt like the president listens more to me then him. And since turning off respawn was presented as my idea, he felt upset." ** _

_ Quackity watched the president leave, as he casually announced that thanks to Tubbo, the respawn will be turned off. How dare he, how dare he make such a decision by himself, without consulting it with the cabinet. He wasn't going to let it slide. He was going to confront _   
_ Schlatt about this. Confidently, he strolled into the white house. _

_ "Schlatt-" he began, enjoying the way the other man turned around with hate in his eyes "-Mr. President, can we talk?" Schlatt agreed, but with a look as if this was the most boring thing he had to do. Quckity led him upstairs into his office and sat into his chair, allowing the president to sit across him. _

_"What is it vice president?"_

_"I think we need to talk about today."_

_"There's nothing to talk about." The emperor smiled politely._

_ The vice president refused to give up "I think there is. After all, you have a whole cabinet, with me in the lead and yet you decided to listen to a child. About something so important, so vital to the life of us all. I don't think that speak well about your leadership." _

_"Then I suppose it's a good thing then that I don't have to listen to you, or have to explain anything, seeing that you are not much of anything."_

_Quackity's eyes narrowed "What do you mean I'm not much of anything? I'm the goddamn VP, I helped you won this entire election. Don't you fucking try to pull this shit with me." he scoffs._

_Schlatt smirked "I'm just telling you how it is. If I want, I can get another VP at any moment. You aren't as valuable as you think."_

_Quackity glared at the man in front of him, the disgusting confidence in his words was really pissing him off. "You're joking. The only reason you are in power is because of MY votes. If I step away and end our alliance, the election will be annulled, and Wilbur would become a president again. So continue belittling me and I use my small bit of power to destroy yours forever." He ended the threat._

_ And Schlatt, Schlatt started laughing. "Very well, good to know where you stand. The meeting is now dismissed." He stood up and started leaving. "Oh, and Quackity." He said sweetly, as the other looked at him "I would watch your back, if I was you. Accidents happen all the time." And with that, the president left the office. _

"So you think he despised you, because he was jealous. Has he said anything about it directly?"

_**"Yes, he decided to pay me a visit."** _

_ Quackity stood in front of the house with George in tow. They were both fully dressed in armour and their swords were pulled out. He knocked on the door. They heard footsteps and soon they were greeted by Tubbo's confused face. _

_ "Um, hello? Can I help you?" Quackity bristled, this small confused child was supposed to be his replacement. Fucking Schlatt. He will show him who's supposed to watch his back. He walked inside, rudely shoving Tubbo out-of-the-way. _

"How was he acting during it? Was he hostile?"

_**"Well, they did came in with weapons pulled and armour."** _

"They? So Quackity had a friend with him?"

_**"He came with George."** _

Each of the council members noted down that George had never said anything, even when Dream gifted them some items to support the "rightful" leader. They will have to ask George to testify about the events later. Karl resumed the questioning "So they came into your house to talk, what happened next?"

_** "Quackity was upset that I tried to "steal his place" and yelled at me that I disrespected him by my actions. But before I could defend myself, he had decided to teach me a lesson."  ** _ Tubbo's hands started to shake a bit, so Fundy started discretly patting his back to help him calm down.  _**"So they attacked me."** _

_ Tubbo dodged the swing and ran upstairs as fast as he could. He attempted to throw a chair at the attackers, but it didn't do much for stopping them. He locked the door to get some more time, but it was useless. They broke through with ease. Tubbo franticaly looked around, until his eyes landed on the window. _

_ He jumped through the glass, hearing the crash and feeling the pain from the impact and many little cuts. He quickly scrambled onto his legs and started booking it. He didn't get far. At the first line of trees, he tripped over a bark and came crashing down. The two armed men now looked more like demons, or evil spirits, at least that's how Tubbo felt. _

_**"I've tried to run away, but I wasn't lucky and they caught me. I, I thought I was going to die."** _ he admitted. Fundy offered him more cookies and took one too. Tubbo resumed in his story.  _**"And then HE came and stopped them."** _

"Who was it Tubbo? Who came to stop them?" Everyone in the council listened with interest. The story wasn't over and they already had a lot of questions and so much work to do.

_ Not all heroes wear capes, after all, Tubbo's was wearing a suit with netherite armour and enchants. "What is the meaning of this?" _

_"He tried to attack us, so we defended ourselves." Quackity spat out._

_"Oh really? Somehow I find that hard to belive."_

_"You can believe whatever you want."_

_ The newcomer smirked "Tubbo, would you be so kind and stayed where you aren? Thank you. Now drink this healing potion, while I deal with the traitor." He slipped the potion to Tubbo's hand and aproached the attacker. _

_ "Yes sir." He was too scared to move. _

_** "Schlatt." ** _ For the first time in the conversation, Tubbo dared to mention the name. It pained him greatly to remember the monster in his nightmares was just a human with a name. The monster, that for a few fleeting moments felt like a father figure, a friend he could trust. He had to admit he had many conflicting thoughts about the now ex-president.

As Tubbo struggled with bad memories, Fundy wondered if it would be too inappropriate to give Tubbo a hug.  _Eh, whatever. What's the point of being a president's son if I'm not allowed to bend the rules a little._ And with certainty he gave Tubbo a one armed hug.

That prompted Wilbur to shoot a glare in his son's direction, but Fundy also saw a small smile on his face, so he decided to ignore it. Meanwhile Tubbo relaxed a little with the hug and stopped shaking. He took the feather again.  _Just a few more words and it's over. Come on, you got this. You are the man, big T._

_** "He... He stopped them and as he yelled at them both, I drank the healing potion he gave me. But then he and Quackity fought, until Schlatt stabbed him. And as his friend went down, George said something about diplomatic immunity and left." ** _

"So it was just you, Schlatt and Quackity, who got stabbed by Schlatt." Karl asked for clarification. Tubbo nodded. Karl looked around and then decided to take on the role of being the one who had to ask "How did it came to it, that you were the one who delivered the final blow?"

_ Schlatt stood over Quackity, his sword still sticking out of the kneeling man. "Pathetic. You went down in one strike. Did you really thought you were an even match for me?" He mocked. _

_"I think he gets it sir."_

_ "Shush Tubbo. This is between me and a state traitor." The sickeningly sweet smile was unnerving. Schlatt continued taunting the man, but as Quackity was unable to respond, he soon became bored. "Finish it." He pointed at the defeated man. _

_ "I- what? I don't think I understand, sir." His voice came out small and scared. _

_ "That's alright, I'll explain it very simply, just for you Tubbo." Schlatt's voice came out as quiet and gentle, and Tubbo found himself trusting this man to take care of everything, to take care of him. "As your president, I want only the best for you, so I thought I would grant you the chance to gain revenge." _

_"No I, I think this is enough." He tried to back away, but the president's hand clasped around his shoulder and prevented him from escaping._

Wilbur's face darkened as he looked at the evidence. He knew that whatever would come next, he would hate it and he would want to murder an already deceased man. And sadly as he expected, what Tubbo wrote next didn't surprise him in the slightest.

_** "It started as an order. He said that if I was loyal and strong, and my own person, I would be able to finish him off. He said that if I do it, it would make him proud, because he would see how much I've grown. And when I was still hesitating, he whispered that I shouldn't feel sorry for a guy that just tried to kill me, so I... I listened and stabbed Quackity." ** _

There was just silence after the admission. Karl looked visibly uncomfortable, Eret was buried in papers, so no one could see what he was thinking, Wilbur was visibly in pain and Techno, Techno just kept staring at the child. Fundy was ready to ask for a break, when he noticed Tubbo was still writting.

_** I've watched him die and it was... It was horrible, he just stayed there, unmoving. And I wanted to cry, but then Schlatt started to drag me away from the corpse and- ** _

However instead of reading it out loud, like he was supposed to, Fundy laid a hand on Tubbo's and carefully took the feather away. "I think he needs a break." He announced and without waiting for permission to be dismissed, he dragged Tubbo out of the meeting.

Usually, Wilbur would have tried to scold him, or lectured him about the proper responsibilities of a leader and how to act during tense situations. But as his eyes fixated on the next victim, he hoped he could also take a break. He glanced at Techno, who opted to sit down for the upcoming part of the case - the murder of TommyInnit.


	3. Taking a break before George gets found

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I added pictures into the previous chapters (ch 2 has Tubbo's look)
> 
> Also I've watched so many animatic about this whole thing so I'm pretty hyped :D, but two things:
> 
> 1) Why is Schlatt hot in every animatic, like pls, I can't simp even more than I do skhskshssk  
> 2) Some people in the comments of the animatic were talking about wait a minute. PogChamp. You go Aenqa! Break our hearts!  
> 
> 
> P. S. This was sitting in my drafts ever since last day of September and the main reason is that plot went brrrrr again and I had to reconstrunt the entire story line, originaly this was supposed to be the Tommy case, but whelp, how about some Gogy angst instead?

"-but then Eret came to look at my build and just decided to help me, because he was afraid I would blow myself up. And then he miscalculated the seconds he had left and nearly blew us both up." Jack finished the story.

"Really? No way." Hbomb chuckled as stared at the other solider, who opted to tell him stories about the others as they guarded the hallway.

They didn't envy those who were voted into the council. Their job was going to be the hardest and as a way to ease their burden, they decided to volunteer as guards, to make sure the trial will go smoothly and without any accidents.

So when they heard a creek, their heads immediately snapped towards the sound. To their relief, it was not an intruder or their leader. First a boy in blue blanket and then two fluffy ears peeked through. Tubbo and Fundy. The latter had his hand glued to the boy's back, softly guiding him towards the guards, who seemed surprised "Is it over?"

The fox-hybrid shook his head "We're only taking a small break. There's still a lot to go through."

Hbomb nodded in understanding "Ah... Damn, I wish we had a break."

"Why? ... Did you forgot to grab anything before it started?"

"Uhh. Maybe?"

Fundy sighed "I'll bring you something from the meeting room." He paused "Will you two watch over Tubbo for a moment?"

The guards looked at each other "Sure. Why not." They grabbed some chairs and pulled them closer "So, you wanna hear some stories? I heard a story about a love letter recently, if you are interested in gossip."

Tubbo nodded and went to sit with the soldiers, who decided to share all the things he had missed plus some juicy speculations about treasure maps and scavenger hunts. Fundy smiled fondly, as he watched the boy cheer up a little and returned to steal some food from the council. Not like they're going to notice, judging by the shouts of the argument. Huh, maybe he should get some popcorn too.

"Who does he think he is?! He can't deny showing to a court if he's called as witness." Wilbur slammed his hand on the desk.

"I'm sure we can convince him to come, this is important, he knows that. Or maybe I could ask Sapnap to bring him. Or even Dream. They have the power to do that." Karl tried to defuse the situation, but Wilbur continued his ranting.

"I can't believe he's doing this again. He always "forgets" to show up at important events. How can this man be next in line for the throne, if he never attends court stuff? Does he hope he would magically learn how to rule? Like, how-"

Fundy swooped in as quick as he could, grabbed some sandwiches and dipped, before his father was able to assign him another mission. On his way out, he makes sure they are focused on the important things, as he pulled out his communicator to send a message.

** You sent KarlJacobs a message: **   
_ Just ask Sapnap. This will take a while. _

** KarlJacobs sent you a message: **   
_Note sent. They're on their way._

Fundy pocketed the communicator, just he returned to the three men on the chairs.

"-and they thought it was a love letter. So that's how the race to tree started. Karl tried to hide the note, but since there was one of him and three of them, he eventually gave up and let them read it."

The fox delivered the food and both guards patted his shoulder "Thanks man. We're currently near the end of the love letter lore." Jack said as an explanation.

"I see. Well then, can I join you gentlemen?" Fundy said as he took a seat.

Hbomb ate the sandwich, as he continued the story. Tubbo tried to eat along, taking small bites once in a while. Jack carefully leaned towards Fundy and whispered into his ear "How does it look?"

Fundy's eyes hovered over the boy "I don't think he will be found guilty." He whispered back "And that's all we hope for." There was nothing else that needed to be said at the moment. The two men enjoyed the peace of the moment for a while, until it was broken by a beeping of a communicator.

** WilburSoot sent you a message: **   
_Thanks for organizing stuff. I knew I could count on you with your responsibilities._

** WilburSoot sent you a message: **   
_Oh, and Dream is at the gate. Can you be their guide? I can send Techno if you don't feel like it._

** You sent WilburSoot a message: **   
_I'll do it. It's fine dad._

"Aaaand that's my cue. Looks like I'm the door opener for today" the fox hybrid joked. But for a moment, he hesitated. Should he leave Tubbo here or bring him with himself? Would the boy even want to see them? Wouldn't he feel safer here in this room? He looked at Jack.

"We'll watch over him." Jack promised, solving the dilemma and patted his friends back. "Don't worry."

"Good. If he falls asleep, let him be. He had a rough night." Fundy instructed as got up to greet the delegation.

L'Manberg was slowly being rebuild, so the borders were still under construction. The only thing fully finished was a gate, separating the path from Dream's land to the start of L'Manberg. That's where the y stood, waiting. This part was still the weirdest one to him, seeing them without their armour, without weapons, actually respecting the laws.

Dream stood in the forefront of the group, his mask firmly over his face. There was a basket in one of his hands. Behind him was Sapnap, who had one hand clasped on George's elbow, as if he was a disobedient child. The man in question kept looking down, probably because he didn't want to be there at all. When they spotted Fundy, Dream was the first to greet him.

"Fundy."

"Dream."

They both nodded in acknowledgement and Fundy opened the gate to let them in. "Thank you for coming and bringing the witness. Now please follow me gentlemen." The fox hybrid guided the through the maze of buildings, until they arrived at their destination. "Do you want to go in too or are you okay with waiting outside?"

"We would like to come in."

"Alright. Just... go quickly." Fundy hoped they would manage to avoid Tubbo at least partly. After what he read, he didn't wanted the boy to be even more upset. And luck was on his side, because as they arrived in the hall in front of the council room, Jack informed him that Tubbo fell asleep. Fundy let out a relieved breath and gestured to the Dream team to step inside.

The meeting room was definitely more organized and quiet than before. Wilbur spoke first "Thank you all for coming on such a short notice, it's greatly appreciated."

"No problem. We had a few questions ourselves." Dream placed the basket on the table, right in front of Karl. "Here. A gift from Sapnap."

Karl looked up, confused at first why was Dream giving him a basket, but when he opened it his eyes shined for a moment. "You brought me lunch?"

Sapnap smirked "Of course I did. I would deliver it myself, but my hands are full of George. Just kidding, I wanted Dream to be the delivery boy." he finally let go of Gorge, who slowly sat down.

Wilbur waited for everyone else to settle down. "Gentlemen, I resume the court hearing. The current witness is GeorgeNotFound, who was an assistant of the ex-vice president Quackity at the time. Now, do you know why we asked you to come George?"

"You want to ask about the day he died."

"Precisely. We need to ask you about your involvement in all that. First, what was your relationship with the victim?"

"We were colleagues, friends even."

"And how did your interactions usually went?"

"They were good. We understood each other."

"Alright. According to another testimony we gathered you were there with him during the attack on Tubbo, is this true?"

George nodded "It is."

"Can you give us a bit of context on that?"

_ Quackity was staring out of the window of his office at the podium, where Schlatt was patting Tubbo on the back. "Look at them. The president is basically all over the kid now. Disgusting... Maybe we need to teach the kid a lesson." _

_George looked up from the pile of papers he was sorting through to stare at the vice president. "And how exactly do you plan to do that?"_

_"Nothing big. We'll just show up in his house fully armed and threaten him a bit."_

_"I suppose that would be effective... When do you plan to strike?"_

_ "Tonight. Schlatt said he has to go check out "some things" before he can turn off the respawn, so we can do whatever." _

_"Sounds like a plan."_

George leaned back "I think Quackity felt jealous that Schlatt gave Tubbo so much power. We were both in favour to scare him a bit, so maybe he would convince Schlatt to return respawn."

"Continue." Wilbur had a lot he could say, but he knew it would fall on deaf ears, so he stayed silent.

"We followed the plan, however it all escalated and it turned into a fight. Tubbo ran into the forest, we followed him and that's when Schlatt found us."

"How did he react?"

"He was pissed. He yelled at us both for daring to attack his right hand man. He said that we were both traitors to the state."

Wilbur nodded, so far the story was matching up with Tubbo's testimony. "Is it true he then fought Quackity and stabbed him?"

"That's true. I- When I saw him go down, I hesitated. The only reason I didn't go down was because I told him that if I die, he will start a war. And that was something he wasn't ready for, so he let me go." George kept giving small glances towards Dream's direction as he spoke.

"So you think your life was spared only because of your connection with Dream's land."

The brunette glared "I don't think it. I know it."

_ George ran. He ran as far away as he could. For a man who looked like he was going to die any moment, the tyrant sure could wield weapons. Fuck, I really hope he'll make it. He has to right?After all, he is- used to be the vice president. Schlatt won't kill him just like that, not with permadeath. Right? _

_ He looked back at the line of trees. Please be okay, I really don't have anyone else I can talk to about this. Wait, should I go back just in case he needs medical help after? Should I grab some bandages and potions? Yeah, let's get them. He untangled his tired limbs and prepared to run again. It was a bit harder to get going again, but he managed. _

_ He was nearly at Quackity's house, when the message appeared. _

_ Quackity was slain by Tubbo__

_ He froze. Wait what? Tubbo? No, no, no. This- He- Shit. He broke into Quackity's house, taking all the supplies he could find. Oh god, if they killed him just like that, he is probably next. He needs to run, he needs to find Dream, he needs to-_

"Why did you decided to stay in L'Manburg after everything?"

George saw the way everyone tried to not stare at him directly. He couldn't blame them for being curious. After all, why would the next succesor of the throne stay in enemy country to serve its president? "It's complicated."

"Wow. Really? Who would have guessed." Sapnap sarcastically commented.

"Shut up. You weren't there."

"True. I was too busy taking care of my own country."

Dream decided to step in and stood up "Stop this immediately. We are not having this argument now. Sapnap, let him talk."

Sapnap scoffed and turned around to stare at Karl, while George shoot Dream a thankful look. Wilbur looked at Karl and Eret, to see if anyone asksanything, but when no one did he asked himself "Is this all you are willing to share?"

"There is nothing else that matters." George tried to stop his voice from shaking.

"In that case, thank you for coming here George and giving your testimony. We greatly appreciate it."

"Yes. Of course." _As if I had any say in coming here to begin with._ He thought bitterly. _Dream just said I have to go and ordered Sapnap to fetch me._

The interrogation was concluded. Eret offered to be the one to lead them out, but when Karl expressed interest too, he let him. They slowly took all their stuff and said their goodbyes. George stayed in the back of the group, letting the happier trio lead. But as he walked into the hallway, his eyes fell on a boy in a blue blanket and the question came back with brute force:  _Why did you stay?_

_ George stood in the office, frantically looking for the papers. I know I left them in the drawer, where did they go? He had looked at the opposite site too. He needs to find everything before Schlatt returns and burn it. He doesn't want to think what he would do if he can't make it in time. _

_ Which is why he nearly screams when he hears the emperor's voice next to him "Looking for something?" He turns around to see grinning Schlatt and in his hand are the papers. Fuck, this is bad.The president smiles even wider "Leaving so soon? I thought you love it here." _

_ George took a step back, away from the danger. If only he could grab the sword on the wall, maybe then he would have a chance. "Well I just stopped by to return those important documents. Looks like they were misplaced, truly tragic, but I can't help but wonder, why are _ _ there signed visas for someone named WilburSoot and TommyInnit?" _

_ George froze, maybe if he dashes towards the door, he can still make it. The tyrant is unarmed, so he can't attack and the guards are sleeping. Schlatt sees his line of sight and closes the door. "Why don't we sit and talk about it, after all, I'm sure it's all just a misunderstanding." _

_ The president gracefully sits down as the other man collapses onto the chair. "I understand how you must feel now, but trust me, I don't blame you for anything. After all, you were just following orders, isn't that right?" _

_ George stares at Schlatt, defeated. _

_ "It is true that they came from the traitor of the state, but I believe we can forgive that. After all you are technically a citizen of a neighbouring country, of course you only wanted to help." Schlatt patted his shoulder, trying to appear friendly, but George knew better. _

_"What do you want from me Schlatt?_

_ "I want you to publicly announce that Quackity was a traitor and tried to get all the power for himself. I want you to stop pretending you care about what happens to Manburg. I want you to stop Dream from attacking us. And it's a simple choice, really, because either you accept or you lose your life and start another war. And this time, the casualties will mean something." _

_George stayed silent. And then he pulled out his communicator_

_**You sent Dream a message: **  
I have everything under control for now. I'll try to prevent more accidents from happening._

_"I've told Dream I'm taking care of everything. So no war for now. Done. I did what you asked."_

_ "Good. Well, you can have Quackity's house, it's not like he will be using it anymore. I suggest you get used to it, after all, it's going to be your home from now on." Before George could protest, Schlatt reached into a closet and threw a suit at him "Oh, and you need to wear a suit if you want to be in the cabinet. Can't have you ruining the style. I'm expecting the apology done tomorrow morning, oh and last thing. If you even try to run away to report back to Dream about the situation here or anything that would make him attack us, I'll gladly kill someone else in your place, capiche?" _

_ George nodded and the emperor clasped his hand on his shoulder "Great. I am sure we will be the bestest of friends then. Come on **friend** , we have a lot of work to do." The president laughed and George wondered what exactly he signed himself for and if he will be able to survive it. _


	4. Connecting the dots

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Me: I won't split the Tommy chapter, it needs to go together
> 
> Also me splitting it for the third time: :)))
> 
>   
> Sorry for the wait, I was a bit burned out and only got ideas for other fics that didn't wanted to leave me alone until I wrote it down. Which means that if you are interested in a villain!Wilbur fic with happy ending, I posted a new fic :D  
> This time inspired by kadeak's biological father au, so the main focus will be father/son relationship :)
> 
> P. S. Had to reread my whole fic, because I forgot my characterisation for this universe and then I came up with more Gogy angst for the future, so be excited :)))

It was evening when the trial resumed. Jack and HBomb took turns between watching over and napping along with the boy. When Tubbo woke up from his nap, he was brought to another room to eat and take care of himself. Tubbo still didn't felt like eating, so he only took a small bite. After it was done, Fundy brought him his blanket and guided him back to the council.

As they walked in, Eret briefly looked up from his papers, before returning to the mind map. The king was currently focusing on analysing all the evidence they had gathered so far. He drew a line from George to "promoted to vice president" and circled the phrase. He thought about adding a line between Schlatt and George, but in the end he decided against it.  _ We're still not sure about their relationship, better leave it for now. _

_ _

His eyes wandered over the "secret". Whatever it was, it was the reason for George's actions. He still wondered why Schlatt promoted George, considering that he was the least trustworthy from his view. Or maybe, maybe it was for that exact reason. Eret remembered that speech very well. It was the following morning after the death announcement appeared on their communicators and no one had expected it.

_ It was raining, fitting for such occasion. All the citizens tried to hide under poorly constructed roofs that they quickly built to not be completely soaked. Eret looked at Niki, who was shivering in the cold weather. "Are you sure you don't want my coat? It's really warm. I wouldn't mind cooling off. _

_She shook her head. "I'll be fine." She eyes roamed the empty podium, where the president was going to have another speech. "Do you think he's really dead?" she whispered into the rain._

_ "I don't know." He answered honestly "I hope he isn't, but we all saw the notification." He turned his head just in time to witness the entire cabinet minus Quackity walk on the stage. All of the four men were wearing suits and iron swords. Schlatt also had his second sword ready, probably because the man wasn't stupid, as it was obvious how much people hated him. He approached the mic. _

_ "Citizens of Manburg, I am sure you all noticed the announcement yesterday. I'm only here to confirm it's true. The ex-vice president Quackity had been executed for his crimes against the state. You may ask, mister president, what could have this guy called flatty patty do, that he deserved death? Well, it's very simple. He had attempted to kill my right hand man and that is just unacceptable. Which is why in my next decree, I state that anyone, even if they are a member of my _ _own cabinet, anyone, who attacks a member of the cabinet with ill intent, will be punished by death penalty." _

_The president looked down at the citizens and grinned, as he saw their terrified faces. The silence was deafening. Eret pulled Niki into a hug, because she was shaking so much. "Hey, it's going to be okay. We'll do this." He whispered, not even sure himself, but he hoped to comfort her at least a little. He stared at the tyrant, as he continued his speech, cackling as if it was all just a game for him. But maybe it was. _

_ "But to cheer you all up, from your mourning of a traitor, I bring some good news as well. Everyone, say hello to our new vice president GeorgeNotFound, who accepted his new position in our cabinet. Come on, give him a warm welcome." And he started clapping. But it was a slow clap, rhythmical, the kind of clap you do to be sarcastic, that one when you say 'Wow, look at you doing nothing important or cool. You really outdid yourself! Congratulations.' _

_George walked to the mic and was greeted by sea of faces. He had spent his entire night thinking about what he'll say. He hoped Schlatt would be pleased, he needed him to be satisfied or his life is over. George's glasses covered his eyes, but his face said it all anyway, he was a broken man. Thankfully no one under the podium could see that. He shakily grabbed the mic from the president and tried to steady his voice, to make it seem like he was in charge of his actions. He licked his dry lips and began speaking softly._

_ "People of Manburg, I've been appointed into this position, because the previous vice president committed treason. Not only he supported the rebellion, with the knowledge they want to endanger us and even kill us, but he also delivered them information that they could use for their attack. However the most disappointing is his role and involvement in the planned assassination of the president's right hand man Tubbo. So today, I hereby publicly condemn his act and I wish he may now rest in peace." _

_ The new vice president stepped away from the mic and looked at the others on the podium. Fundy stood in solider stance, not giving away any indicator of his emotions, only reacting when Schlatt gave him an order. Meanwhile Tubbo was openly sobbing, trying to keep silent so the mic's wouldn't pick up anything. Schlatt stood next to the boy, patting his head, as if he was trying to calm him. George wanted to stand next to Fundy, but the president looked up and gestured for him to come closer. He followed the silent order._

_ "Great job on the speech George. Truly marvelous." The horned man stopped comforting Tubbo to grab's George's shoulder, as he brought their faces closer to whisper "I hope you didn't forgot about the second part." Schlatt's face darkened. George only managed to weakly shook his head and just like that, the glare was gone, replaced with a soft voice and big smile, as the president addressed his right hand man. The switch in attitude was so quick, that it was scary._

_ "Look who's here Tubbo, it's George, Gogy, and he has something he wants to say to you." _

_ The boy raised his eyes up to meet George's and oh god, why does it hurt so much, why does this make him feel so sick, why is he the monster in Tubbo's story? George opened his mouth to speak, but he didn't know where to start. How do you apologize for for nearly permaing someone? He saw the frown slowly forming on Schlatt's face and decided to just improvise on the spot. He cleared his troath._

_ "I- Listen Tubbo, I am deeply sorry about attacking you. I- we just wanted to scare you, but I agree we went to far. We- I shouldn't have done it and I hope one day I'll be able to make it up to you, so you can forgive me" George did a deep bow in the end, praying Tubbo will give him another chance. Judging by the silence, he had to think about it for a moment. The vice didn't blamed him at all. And finally, he spoke._

_ "I accept your apology." And with that, Tubbo left the stage. _

_ George felt himself getting lighter, filled with the relief that he got another chance to prove himself. But before he could leave, the hand on his shoulder tightened "Where do you think you're going George? We still have so much work to do, remember? Oh, and I hope you know that the only reason you weren't executed on the spot was because you were useful. So, if you pull any of this shit again, or if Tubbo gets hurt in any way, I won't hesitate next time, understood?" The new vice president nodded. _

_ "Good. Now enjoy your few minutes of fame, that's if, anyone here even cares about you." And with one last big smile, the president released his subject, patted his back and followed Tubbo off the stage. And as George watched him leave, he again wondered how exactly is he going to get himself out of this situation. _

In the present Eret averted his gaze from the mind map in order to look at his notes, where he wrote additional questions and mysteries he wanted to solve by the end of the trial. Or at least he hoped he would be able to find the answer to those questions:   
_ \- Quackity and Schlatt had different ideas about the country, which led to a confrontation. _   
_ \- Quackity and George attacked Tubbo and Schlatt stopped them. But we still don't know why. _   
_\- George avoids the topic of why he stayed even with his friends. What's he hiding? And why?_   
_ \- George, Fundy and Tubbo became a vital part in the cabinet - the suited trio. Fundy did it as a spy, Tubbo because he was in to deep, so why George? _

Eret glared at the notes. So far everything he needed to know was connected to George and the rest of the suited trio. He looked at the first questions he wrote down even before the trial started:   
_\- Who was Niki's contact? Who let her out of the prison the first time? And who almost let her out the second time? Was it the same person who sent me the intel? And why are they hiding it even now?_   
_\- Was Niki executed for treason?_

That was the one thing he still had to figure out. With the pieces of information he received, he was able to deduce her contact was a member of the suited trio. When he approached Fundy about it, the fox-hybrid admitted that he only saw Niki when he brought her food, because after her first escape the president started to suspect there was a spy among them.

Eret looked at the evidence. If Fundy had no clue and Tubbo always had to follow the president, then there was really only one choice. He circled the name George and frowned. Why is he in hiding? There's nothing to fear now that the respawn was turned back and Dream is back to rule over his kingdom. So why did Goerge stayed silent?  _Guess I'll have to ask him one day. Maybe then I'll finally learn the truth._

The king turned the page to make space for his notes about the next case. The council was fully seated, even Techno joined them at the table for this. It was the first time he moved from his spot near the wall and Eret noticed that the man was as exhausted as the rest. Techno grabbed a potato and as he glared at the king, the other averted his gaze.

Wilbur took a moment to compose himself. This was going to be the hard part. "Tubbo, for this part of the trial we need to ask questions about what happened the night of Tommy's death. Are you ready for that?"

Tubbo raised his head. He has to do this, he needs to tell them what happened, because no one else will. No one else but him can. He nodded and reached for the ink and quill. He will stay strong.  _Shame you couldn't do that when it mattered._ The boy flinched as the bitter though appeared. He decided to ignore it. He needs to stay strong and say it all, before it starts hurting so much.

But... Where should he even begin? Should he start with the fact that he deeply regretted the choices he had made? That if he didn't refused their offer and instead ran away with them like they had asked, everyone else would be still alive? Should he apologize for not leaving Schlatt, until the day of his death? Should he be sorry, that he wasn't able to save anyone, no matter how hard he tried? That instead of being brave and strong, he was cowardly and weak, deciding to hide in his home, until the whole thing ends, until it's all over.

Or should he tell them how terrible all the guilt feels? How it made him so sick, he wasn't able to eat properly for days. Or how it made him tired, both physically and mentally, not being able to process this new reality. How he tried to search comfort in the littlest of things, going as far as doodling Tommy in the dirt and whispering things, that would probably get him jailed, if anyone loyal to the new government heard him.

But, that wasn't exactly true, was it? Because in the end, the government was Schlatt himself, who claimed to be Tubbo's friend. Yet it hurt. It hurt so much, because once upon a time, Tubbo believed that the man was genuine and for that, he respected him. For that, he vowed to stay with his president, for that, he betrayed his friends. And it all happened because once upon a time, the president, no, the emperor, went to comfort a scared crying child in the middle of a night and told him that it's okay, that it's fine if he needs to cry, because he will be there for him, always.

_ There were sounds. That's the first thing Schlatt _ _registered, as he awakened. He reached for his sword, ready to defend himself from an attack, until he realized the noises weren't made by an assasin, but rather caused by his right hand man, who was currently sleeping in the office. The president slowly got up to investigate. _

_ He carefully opened the heavy door, checking for any traps or hidden enemies, but the only thing he registered were cries and whimpers. He slowly approached the shadow, that was loudly breathing on the wooden chair. He attempted to wake the child by calling it directly "Tubbo. Tubbo, it's me, Schlatt." _

_ However, as the boy continued to have nightmares, the strategy was changed to shaking. "Hey, Hey it's me. Wake up. Come on, you're safe." The emperor continued talking for so long, that it actually worked and Tubbo woke up with a gasp, almost as if he was suffocating. But upon seeing Schlatt, the kid went silent, as if nothing had happened at all. _

_ Instead, the boy rose up from his seat and saluted. "N-Night sir. I was just finishing up some paperwork, sir." His eyes were still puffy and red from the crying and if Schlatt hadn't just witnessed everything, he would have believed it was just a dream. He took in the small figure in front of him, they way it's aura radiated fear and confusion. And suddenly the shadow was not Tubbo, but a different boy in a suit, who was plagued by guilt and regret. Schlatt blinked and the boy disappeared._

_ "No need for such formalities Tubbo." He dismissed his right hand man "After all, I came here as a friend. Come on, have a seat. Let's talk." He tried to smile, but instead of warm and welcoming it looked more like sinister and threatening. He mentally cursed at his natural evil-looking appearance. The kid stood frozen, until it fell, more than sat, on the offered chair. _

_ "So. What seems to be the issue?" _

_ "I- I don't think I understand, sir." _

_ "You don't have to always call me sir Tubbo. Now it's just us two, so let's drop the formalities and we can be just Schlatt and Tubbo." He tried to lighten up the atmosphere, unfortunately, it didn't work. The president frowned. This will be harder than he expected. Oh well, he was once a fool who claimed to love all challenges, so he should be qualified enough to solve this problem. First step is to change his approach to the situation._

_ "You know Tubbo, you remind me a bit of myself, when I was your age. Curious about the world, honest, always trying to catch up with my friends, see how they were doing and stuff... Which is why I know how you must be feeling right now. Being attacked by people you thought you could trust." He gently put his hand on the boy's shoulder "I too, had been forced to kill my opponent in self-defense. So, if you need a shoulder to cry on, I can do that for you." And to add weight to his words, he got down to look Tubbo in the eyes. _

_ His right man was speechless. Is- Is this even real? Is he missing his friends so much that he even hallucinated about friendly version of Schlatt? Yet when he looked into the president's eyes, he only saw softness and honesty. So when the emperor opened his arms for a hug, Tubbo leant into it. It felt weird, hugging the man he was supposed to fight against, but it still felt nice, even if it reminded him how much he's missing his friends. _

_"It's okay to cry sometimes, letting it all out. Do you feel better now?" The boy hummed "Good. That's good. I'm sorry I made you do that. I had hoped it would make you feel better, that it would make you feel strong, but now I see that I brought you pain. I apologize for my actions and I swear I'll never do it again. Your well-being is more important than justice... Will you be able to forgive me? Answer honestly, it's alright if you won't, I know I wouldn't myself."_

_ Schlatt didn't know himself what inspired him to ramble so much, but it seemed to calm the child down, so he continued in it. "That reminds me, did George managed to apologize to you for what he did?" _

_"Not yet."_

_"Ah, I see. Well, maybe George needs a little reminder, I can take care of that. After all, as the new vice president he should lead by example, don't you think?"_

_"It really doesn't matter what I think."_

_ "Oh come on Tubbo, of course it matters. You are my right hand man. I'll always care what you think. After all, what kind of president would I be if I didn't cared about my citizens. And, you know what?" Schlatt let go of the hug, to be able to look into Tubbo's eyes "You have my word as the president, that I'll always listen to what you have to say, no matter the circumstance. Would you like that Tubbo?" _

"Tubbo?"

There were arms around his shoulder, shaking him, as if he had fallen asleep. Tubbo blinked. Oh, that's right. He was supposed to tell Wilbur what happened, but instead he spaced out. _**"Sorry"**_ he wrote. _**"Do I have to say all the stuff like before? Like how do I know him and what's my relationship with him?"**_

"No. We already know that part if you want to move on." Karl offered.

**_"I don't think there's any harm in saying Tommy was my best friend."_ **

_ That day, before the results came in, they stood on the L'Manbergian walls, watching the land underneath them prosper. It seemed that the pre result mood was affecting Tommy, who looked sadder and thoughtful with each passing second. And as Tubbo glanced at Tommy, to make sure he's okay, the other turned to him to make a short speech in a Wilbur like fashion. _

_ "Tubbo. It's been me and you, always, even before the disc war and now this is maybe the last time we're standing here as vice president and secretary of state. This might be our last day." _

_ "I don't want it to be!" _

_ Tommy ignored the interruption "I think it's been always me and you and this is our- I mean, this is, this is what we've built." he pointed at L'Manberg. "Tubbo, this might be all gone tonight and- you know one of big Q's policies is to take down these walls that declare our independance?" his voice shook with fear. _

_ Tubbo froze "Oh my god. This is gonna be tragic. You have to win." _

_ Tommy looked solemn as he mulled over the words "Yes, this might be tragic-" _

_ "You have to win." Tubbo said firmly, placing his hand on Tommy's shoulder._

_ And Tommy, who looked so defeated the whole time, smiled "I will. I will." He promised and for a moment, the fire in his eyes returned. The boys tried to wait patiently for the president to arrive, but in the end _ _they found themselves seated on the bench_ , _overlooking the land under the embassy - Tommy's old house. The tunes of cat were filling the air with music and the two boys smiled, content with just existing. The sky was just a bit cloudy, so everything was easy to see._

_ Tubbo was the first to break the silence. "From the beginning, it's been you and me. We've had our quarrels, but overall it's been a hella lot of fucking fun Tommy. It's been great. It's been just so great. And I have something for you, which was actually one of my first things that I actually valued here. Much like your music disc Tommy, because I thought this got lost ages ago, but I found it again today. And- You- Just consider it a good luck token for the election. I really hope this turns out for the better." And he handed Tommy a bucked with Phukkit the puffer fish. _

_ Tommy picked it up and inspected it. The fish was making small circles. "Thank you Tubbo... Should I eat it?" _

_ "NOOO!" _

_ "Okay, okay, I wasn't going to." Tommy laughed "Thank you Tubbo, I just have quite the appetite today." _

_"I'm on the edge of my seat man."_

_ Tommy patted him on the back "We're going to win this. Just, just remember that no matter what happens-" _

_ "-we always have the house in the woods." the other boy finished the sentence. _

_Tommy smiled "We have the house, me and you, big man."_

_ "The house" Tubbo whispered. _

Tubbo grabbed a cookie, as he wrote the next part. **_"So obviously after the election he asked me to run away with him. But I stayed with the president instead and we all know what happened next."_** His hand hesitated for a moment, as he wondered how to phrase his thoughts **_"After Quackity's death, people started avoiding me for obvious reasons. But I needed to talk to someone, I needed to explain, so I contacted Tommy and told him that I want to see him."_**

Wilbur nodded. He remembered how that day he saw Tommy looking happier than ever. His little brother even offered to help Techno with his farm, so the man could take a nap. Oh, how foolish they were to think it was only because he was trying to cope. Oh, how much Wilbur wished he had heard him leave. How he wished he wasn't asleep, when the announcement appeared. How he wished the only reason they got to know it happened at all wasn't because Eret was nice and decided to check on them.

Techno wished he had been there for his brother. He wished he wasn't so tired, that he passed out the moment he laid down. He wished his brother trusted him enough to tell him about the meeting. He wished he didn't feel betrayed, when Eret told him Tommy was killed by his best friend. Techno wished that he could avenge the murder. But today, he wished that he would be able to forgive his brother's killer.

Eret wished he was able to be there for his friends. He wished he wasn't just a lonely king in a big empty castle, a traitor, fool. He wished he didn't felt like an outsider in any country he visited. He wished he felt less helpless, when he saw that Tommy died. And he wished he wasn't the one who delivered the bad news to the boy's family.

Fundy wished he wasn't so good at acting, at lying, at pretending things were amazing, so he could be a proper spy. He wished he had reached out to Tubbo sooner. He wished he had compromised himself and escorted the boy away from Schlatt. He wished he had followed them that day, instead of sneaking into the White House.

Karl wished he wasn't neutral, so he wouldn't have to attend the trial. He wished the boy would be able to tell him why George barely slept. Why his friend refused to speak about anything concerning Manberg. Why he always looked like he was about to cry, when he thought they weren't looking. Karl wished to know what broke his friend and if there was a way to help him.

And Tubbo... Tubbo wished he wasn't as needy for comfort as he was. He wished he didn't require gentle touch to be sane. He wished Schlatt never hugged him or that the hug was enough. He wished he didn't miss Tommy so much he wrote him a letter, asking him to meet at their place. But mostly... he wished he wasn't the one who ended his best friends life.


	5. TommyInnit drowned whilst trying to escape Tubbo_

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking so long, I sometimes hit a block and can't find a way to write. But hey, the scene I was excited the most for is finally here, you go Techno :D
> 
> Also thank you everyone for the kudos, reads and comments, I love replying to them.
> 
> This chapter is dedicated to everyone who asked if Tommy was dead. Now you finally learn how he died :(
> 
> Hard to say which one of my fics will get an update next, but I can promise I'm working on it, now enjoy :)

Tubbo reached for another cookie. Even if he didn't feel so hungry, it helped him relax and focus on his testimony. _**"We agreed to meet at our spot. It's the tree we used to shoot at for target practice."**_ He explained. _**"So when the night came, I sneaked away from the White House and used a tunnel to get into the forest."**_

Eret noted it down and started leading the interrogation, after noticing that Wilbur has opted to stay quiet. "Was Tommy already there or did you arrive first?"

_**"He was already there and he asked me how I was doing, if I was okay and what happened."** _

"Did you tried to explain the situation to him?"

_** "Yes, he understood, I think. He even asked me to come with him to Pogtopia, but I couldn't bring myself to say yes." ** _

_ They were sitting with their backs to the tree, as Tubbo finished telling his side of the story to Tommy, who looked confused and sad. _

_"I can't believe big Q just tried to kill you man, what a dick. He's lucky I wasn't there."_

_ Tubbo smiled "Why? Would you try to save me?" _

_ The blonde scoffed, as if he was offended "Of course I would, who else would keep following me around if I didn't?" _

_The brunette jokingly shoved him "Well, then I guess it's a good thing you weren't there, because you would have lost like always and then I would miss you."_

_ "Excuse you, do you know who exactly are you talking to? Because let me remind you that it was me, who single-handedly defeated THE Technoblade multiple times!" _

_"Yeah, but only because he's your brother and he felt sorry for you, so he let you beat him, to give you at least one win."_

_"Yeah? And how many wins on Techno do you have, huh? Because as far as I remember it's a zero, so that means I'm way cooler than you!"_

_ They kept bantering, giggling as they made up reasons why they were the biggest, strongest and most admirable warriors. It was nice forgetting about the harsh reality that death was now very real and scary concept. Tubbo glanced at the river and slowly gathered some water to throw it at Tommy, ending the banter once and for all. _

_"What was that for?!"_

_"Just making sure you're staying hydrated."_

_ "You're so stupid." Tommy laughed. They looked at the nature surrounding them. Oh how he had missed this, being with his friend. Apparently the blonde did too, because he grabbed Tubbo's hand "Come with me to Pogtopia. It's safe there and I can help you. There is also respawn, so we can joke around like we used to. Please." _

Eret nods "And how did he react?"

_**"Like he usually did. I mean, it was fine, but then I said something he disagreed with and we started arguing again."** _

"Do you remember what you said?"

The boy shifted a bit _**"He asked me why I stayed and-" **_Tubbo weighted his options, before continuing _**" -I said that I don't want to fight again and that I don't think the president is as bad as we think. I said that he saved my life so I owe him."**_

_ Tubbo looked away "Tommy-" _

_"Why? Just... I want to understand, so, tell me."_

_ "I don't want to fight again. I'm sick of war and violence, I just want to be on my farm and look after my bees." _

_ "Tubbo, we can't live in peace if he's the president, you saw what he did!" _

_"... You mean what I did?"_

_ "No, what he did. Turning off respawn and then murdering Quackity-" _

_ "But I did that." Tubbo gave a sad smile. _

_Tommy shook his head "Come on, you know what I mean."_

_"I do, but in the end_ **_I_ ** _ was the reason it was turned off,  _ **_I_ ** _was the killer. So if you want to hate him for that, you need to hate me too."_

_ Tommy let go of his hand and stood up "Why are you defending him? Tubbo, he's insane, he's a tyrant and he banished us. He wants our blood. Why are you on his side?" _

_"I'm not. I just don't think he's as bad as we thought."_

_"What do you mean he's not as bad, I just literally listed all the reasons why he is. You're so stupid, oh god."_

_"Yet he saved my life Tommy, he didn't have to, but he did. I owe him for that, okay?"_

_ "You don't owe him shit. Come on, fuck that guy and join Pogtopia. All we do lately is farm all day with Techno. It will be just like the old times. Just me, you and a shitload of potatoes." _

_ Tubbo lo oked down. Would it really be that bad to see Wilbur again and to be able to breathe, without fearing for his life in each step? _

His last sentence was followed by silence, as they all tried to process the last part. Probably because no one knew how to properly respond to it. Fundy held a comforting hand to Tubbo's back, giving him strength to continue.  _**"We wanted to talk more, but then we heard the president calling for me, so I told Tommy to hide and I went to distract the president."** _

"Do you know why Schlatt went looking for you? Or what reason he gave?"

_**"Apparently it was because he was worried I got lost or kidnapped. He brought my sword and started to lead me home, but I wanted to stay for a moment to say goodbye to Tommy. But the president decided to stay too, so it was a bit awkward. And then Tommy revealed himself by accident." **_Tubbo shoved another cookie in his mouth, hoping it will stop him from crying. _**"They started arguing and when they both reached for their weapons, I tried to make them stop, but they wouldn't listen."**_ He started shivering _**"I just wanted to make them stop."**_

_ But Tubbo didn't have time to answer, because the boys heard the president calling for his right hand man. His eyes widened "Tommy, you need hide, quick, into the tree." And as his friend dived into the hiding spot, Tubbo threw some sticks and leaves over the exit as he went to greet the emperor. _

_ "Oh, there you are Tubbo." Schlatt patted the boy's head "You can't disappear in the middle of the night like this." _

_ "Sorry, sir. I mean Schlatt." _

_ The adult smiled "It's alright Tubbo, just tell me next time you leave, okay? I don't want to repeat the incident from last time." _

_"Yes, of course. That would be bad." he looked down on the ground, not wanting to see the red glint in emperor's eyes._

_ The president cleared his throat, clearly lost on how to go ahead with the conversation "Ehm, I brought you your sword... You forgot it in your room." He handed the boy his diamond sword and Tubbo thanked him. They stood, waiting, the only sound between them was breathing. "So... why are you in the forest this late?" _

_ Tubbo smiled. He knew he was a bad liar, which is why he prepared an answer beforehand "I like watching the stars, it helps me calm down." _

_ Schlatt nodded in understanding. "I do admit it's a bit harder to watch them from the city." he chuckled "Mind if I watch them with you?" _

_"No, not at all, but I think I'm done for today. Maybe tomorrow?"_

_ "Sounds great." He pushed the boy forward, so they could return home. Unfortunately, someone else wasn't able to hold their sneeze any longer. The emperor tilted his head "Oh? Do we have an unwelcome guest? I love surprises." _

_ "Ah, sorry, I think the cold is getting to me-" _

_ "Step aside Tubbo. Please, I won't hurt your friend, I just want to talk." And when their eyes meet, he sees no deceit. The boy hesitantly steps aside, right as his friend crawls out of the hole, the leaves falling to the ground. "Tommy, how generous of you to join us." _

_ "Schlatt" The blonde straightened up and his hand went automatically to his sword. _

_ "I wouldn't do that if I were you. After all, we are on Manberg's territory now. Don't wanna risk that perma death." He said with a sickly sweet smile. _

_"You're bluffing!"_

_ "Am I? After all, Manberg is still expanding." _

_"You're sick."_

_ Schlatt smirked "Funny, I thought it was the guy who let kids fight in a war. The same guy who saw me declare peace and decided that instead it's time for bloodshed. You know, loverboy." _

_ "If you wanted peace, you wouldn't have gone against Dream and turned of respawn." _

_ "It's alright Tommy, I wouldn't expect you to understand politics. At least Tubbo does." He patted his right-hand man's shoulder. _

_"Don't you fucking touch him." He snarled._

_ "Why? Me and Tubbo are friends now, haven't you heard, I saved his life." _

_"You made him kill."_

_ "So did Wilbur. Come on Tommy, just tuck your tail and run back to loverboy. You can't argue for shit. I even promise that if you go now, I'm willing to forget you ever trespassed." _

_ "I don't think this is necessary." Tubbo interrupted the conversation, hoping he can convince them to stop. _

_ "Oh, of course Tubbo, what I wouldn't do for my best friend." Schlatt taunted, as he half hugged the brunette boy. _

_ "I said don't touch him!" Tommy pulled out his sword and in response Schlatt pulled out his. _

_ "Wow Tommy, that eager to die? I guess I can fulfil that wish for you, since you're clearly so desperate." _

The feather fell out of Tubbo's hand, because he was shaking so much. Yet, this didn't fully register to his brain, so he blinked, as if he was only dreaming. Why, why was he shaking? He had a blanket and surely it wasn't that cold. He heard someone calling his name, but he didn't look up. Why was he shivering?

He felt himself being picked up and moved onto someone's lap. Were they, hugging him? Cradling him like a child? Singing him a song? Tubbo blinked again and realized they were talking to him. He opened his mouth to answer, but no sounds came out. Right, he forgot he can barely speak nowadays.

He let the person shake him a bit. It reminded Tubbo of the times where he was a small child and he felt sad or upset, so he would crawl into his father's lap and let his father cradle him, until he felt better. No one spoke for a while and eventually Tubbo calmed down. He felt the hands- were those hands? patting his head. They felt more like... More like Schlatt.

He looked up and his suspicions were confirmed. The hooves were carefully patting his head and he could see the ends of tusks in his vision. He also noticed that his blue blanket transformed into a red royal cape.  _Oh._   
He slowly turned around, to get a clear look at Techno. He wanted to thank him, but instead he smiled and gave a thumbs up, hoping the meaning won't be lost.

Fundy tapped his shoulder "Do you want to stop, or do you want to continue?" Tubbo reached for the feather  _**"I think I can continue. You still need to know what happened."** _

Wilbur nodded "Very well then." He glanced at his brother, who kept patting the child almost absent mindedly. Perhaps it was an instinct he developed when they all lived together in the Antarctic Empire, but the way he rushed to the kid to calm it down made Wilbur smile. Because it meant that there was still some hope left for Techno being able to forgive.

Tubbo wondered if he should get his own chair, instead of living one, when Techno just nudged his hand, to tell him to keep writing. Tubbo took a deep breath to calm himself. _**"I tried to stop them, because they started pulling out their weapons, so I took my sword and got between them."**_ He felt the tears forming _**"And then our swords clashed, my hand slipped and I stabbed Tommy."**_

_"There's really no reason to do_ _this, please, let's just all go home." Oh no, this was terrible, everything was going wrong and he didn't know what to do. He reached for his sword, praying to sky gods that he doesn't need to use it today. He really, really hoped to avoid this fight. His two friends started circling each other, waiting for a good moment to strike._

_ Now or never. Tubbo jumped into the middle, just as Tommy moved to strike. He heard the clank as their swords clashed, but Tubbo's was at the wrong angle and as it slipped forward, it pierced right through Tommy's chest. He let go of the sword in shock, but that was a mistake, as Tommy's body followed the laws of gravity and fell right on it. The blood was pooling so fast and Tubbo panicked. _

_ "If we can drag him further away, maybe he will manage to die in the respawn zone." _

_The boy looked at the president and nodded. He was right, there was no way he will be able to run for a healing potion before Tommy bleeds out. He grabbed his friend's legs and the emperor grabbed the torso. "We'll need to cross the river, so be careful. The rocks are slippery."_

_ Tubbo nodded. He wished that when they joked about making a bridge, they actually did it, instead of just saying they can swim across the river just fine. "Hold on Tommy, we'll save you." He promised as they approached the river. Schlatt went in first, ignoring the damage done to his suit. Tubbo went in second, making sure he doesn't slip and fall. _

_ "Good job Tubbo, you're doing great." _

_He looked up to thank the president, when he felt his foot gave out under him. He face_ _ planted right into the river. He felt Schlatt tugging him up, so he doesn't drown. Yet, when he opened his eyes, he saw that in favour of him being saved, the president had to hold Tommy in one hand, so the boy's head was now underwater and he was drowning. _

_ He let go of Schlatt's hand and tried to raise his friend's head. The emperor noticed what was happening and tried to readjust his hold. They felt a slight buzz of their communicators, but now was not the time to check them. They somehow managed to cross the river without any further hiccups. Tubbo was ready to cry from happiness and he pulled out his com to check the message. He froze. _

_ TommyInnit drowned whilst trying to escape Tubbo_ _

_ No. No. His friend can't be dead, they crossed the border, he should be able to respawn, so why was he not respawning? Why did his body stayed the same? Why was nothing changing? Why were they so slow? Why did it had to be him? Oh fuck, he killed him. He killed his best friend and now there's no way to get him back. _

_"We have to go." He felt a hand on his shoulder, as the voice spoke slowly and softly._

_"W-What?"_

_"There's nothing we can do now, let's go home."_   
_ And Tubbo felt himself being dragged away, as they left his friend's body. That was the last thing he saw, before the tears obstructed his vision. Tommy was dead and Tubbo's world had just ended. _

_** "I let go of my sword and he fell on it. There was so much blood and he was dying, so the president suggested we will get him across the river, to where the respawn works. But the river was so strong and then I fell and the president went to save me and he had to drop Tommy and then we tried to get him out, but it was too late."  ** _ Tears fell onto the paper  _** "We noticed it as soon as we got on the shore. The respawn wasn't working, so I checked my com and there I saw it. We failed." ** _

And there it was. It was over. He said all he knew, so now he can let go. Tubbo started sobbing and felt himself being cradled again. He appreciated the effort. He felt another hand on his back and then Fundy whispered a simple "Sorry for your loss." And Tubbo cried even harder, because so far he heard that he should move on, that he was a murderer, that he failed to save his friend, but no one had yet told him that he's allowed to grieve.

Karl turned to the rest of the council "I think we can end this for today." He whispered "So I officially end this meeting and we will resume this tomorrow."

Wilbur nodded and went to join the cuddle pile that has formed on the opposite side of the table. Techno moved himself and Tubbo on the ground, so the others could reach better. "I'll tell the guards you're staying here." Eret said before they left with Karl.

The heavy doors closed behind them, as they exited the room. As the king told the soldiers what will need to be done, Karl texted Sapnap that he'll be home soon. He felt a tap on his shoulder and turned his head to meet the dark glasses. "Can I come with you? There's something I need to ask George in private and we all saw how bringing here worked."

"Yeah sure, in the worst case you will go to your castle and in the best he finally tells us what happened."

Eret patted Karl's shoulder "I'm sure he'll tell you eventually, he's probably still processing what happened."

"Thanks, I hope so."

The king adjusted their notes and followed Karl into the night, as they headed to the Dream team's base.


End file.
